Silver nanoparticle hydrogen peroxide composite mitigates resistant Escherichia coli dissemination driven by poultry waste biosecurity failures

Abstract

Abstract This two-phase study evaluated biosecurity vulnerabilities across 100 commercial poultry farms via a field survey and an in vitro assessment of hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) versus a silver nanoparticle–hydrogen peroxide (AgNPs– H 2 O 2 ) composite. Survey metrics revealed critical baseline deficiencies: 80% of farmers lacked antimicrobial resistance (AMR) awareness, 90% practiced no litter treatment, and 70% of untreated waste was sold directly to aquaculture. Molecular analysis of 192 litter samples verified a 72.4% E. coli prevalence, with Multiple Antibiotic Resistance (MAR) indices peaking at 0.90. Phenotypic profiling showed high resistance to ampicillin (89.9%) and amoxicillin-clavulanic acid (61.2%), whereas colistin demonstrated 100% susceptibility. A significant co-resistance was identified between imipenem and tetracycline (φ = 0.65, p_adj < 0.001) and between cefotaxime and ceftazidime (φ = 0.58, p_adj < 0.001), P < 0.01) after Benjamini-Hochberg FDR correction. Concurrently, the AgNPs– H 2 O 2 composite exhibited superior efficacy with a Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) of 3.125 µg/mL, proving four-fold more potent than standalone H 2 O 2 . Time-kill kinetics demonstrated complete bacterial reduction within 24 h ( P < 0.001), successfully suppressing the post-6-hour regrowth observed with H 2 O 2 alone. While this study is limited by its regional geographical scope and the lack of molecular characterization for specific resistance genes, it conclusively identifies veterinary supervision deficits ( P < 0.0001) as a driver of extensively drug-resistant (XDR) transmission. Ultimately, the AgNPs– H 2 O 2 composite offers a promising in vitro One Health biosecurity strategy, achieving complete bacterial reduction under controlled conditions at a 75% lower concentration than standalone H 2 O 2 , pending field validation.